Sacrifice
by Lynse
Summary: Sometimes, a bad plan is the only one you have–but for Marinette, it's better than the alternative.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Originally posted on my tumblr since it was written for MariChat May, Day 7 (Mari protects Chat). Contains **Season 2 spoilers** , as it's set after _Glaciator_. No character death, but hypothermia is definitely a thing. Standard disclaimers apply. (I should clarify: currently a one-shot but may be continued if there's interest.)

* * *

It wasn't supposed to be like this, but when were things ever the way they were supposed to be?

Marinette sucked in a breath, tasting ice in the now-wintry air, and swallowed hard. She—well, Ladybug—and Chat had agreed to meet for an earlier patrol today, at dusk instead of dark, since she was due to be up before the sun tomorrow morning and working in the bakery. She'd volunteered, of course. Helping out her father like that meant he'd teach her how to bake things for her friends as gifts.

It had been a beautiful spring evening, akuma-free (or so she'd thought), so a stroll along the river had seemed ideal. When André had seen her, still without her special someone, he had insisted treating her to some of the finest ice cream in all of Paris. She still appreciated his description of her lover— _mint for his eyes, peach for his lips_ —but now she was wondering who it meant.

Adrien wasn't the only one she knew with green eyes.

And since Chat Noir had professed his love of Ladybug, didn't that mean he could grow to love Marinette, too? She'd be lying if she said she didn't pine for Adrien, but Chat…. Her heart had started beating faster whenever she caught sight of him unexpectedly. She didn't trip over her words with him—she really did know him too well to be so tongue-tied, especially when conversing with that goofball—and she couldn't claim that he wasn't the least bit endearing or loveable. He was funny, even if she'd never admit it to his face, and kind, and caring, and recklessly brave—

 _She really needed to make sure he didn't do something stupid. He had a bad habit of doing that._

—and it almost seemed like a relationship with Chat Noir, one of the heroes of Paris, was more plausible for her than one with Adrien Agreste, arguably _the_ most famous teen model in the city. And she…. It was a bit surprising to realize that she wouldn't be disappointed if that were the case. She could be herself with Chat Noir. The only mask she ever needed to hide behind was Ladybug's.

Besides, it was Chat Noir who had found her on the steps by the Pont des Arts before she'd hardly taken two licks of her treat, not Adrien. It was her partner who had jokingly asked why his purr-incess was eating all alone, not her classmate. It was her kitty, not her first crush, with whom she had ended up sharing her ice cream.

They'd both been too preoccupied by the ensuing teasing conversation to notice the gathering storm clouds until they'd been caught in the middle of a torrential downpour.

"Just keep back, Purr-incess. I won't let him hurt you." Chat Noir pushed her behind him and readied his staff, glaring at the self-proclaimed Tempest whose powers were all too reminiscent of Stormy Weather's. "He needs to learn to chill out, anyway."

Marinette groaned. "This isn't the time for puns!" she hissed.

Tempest grinned. " _Au contraire_. The cat is right, little lady. It was getting entirely too heated between you two lovers." Marinette squawked indignantly—nothing had happened! At least not _yet_ ; they hadn't had time!—but Tempest continued, "Don't get to thinking that love will thaw a frozen heart or that you're safe in the eye of the storm. Storms can be amazingly unpredictable."

She felt the first pebbles of ice sting her skin, and then the hail was raining down on them. Chat Noir spun his staff, doing his best to deflect what had grown to baseball-sized projectiles. Marinette cowered closer to him, trying to get under the cover of his staff, but the wind kept changing direction—

If she were Ladybug right now, she could help him, but as it stood, she was a burden. He'd begin to tire soon, and that would make them both easy prey. And hail that size…. If it didn't kill them, it would certainly break something flying at them with such speed.

Tempest laughed, twisting his hands to redirect the wind again. She couldn't pick out a pattern, and with her here, Chat Noir was too worried about defending her to dare attack.

She'd have to try to distract Tempest. She'd take anything over this deadly hail. "Isn't baseball supposed to be the American pastime?" she yelled.

Chat Noir snorted but took the cue for what it was and tried to hit one of the hailstones in Tempest's direction. It shattered on impact, and Chat Noir immediately returned to shielding them. "Good try, Purr-incess," he said, "but don't make him angry. I don't want him targeting you."

Drawing his ire had been her next plan, but she could wait a moment to see if Chat Noir already had a plan. She didn't dare wait longer. Tempest was hardly lifting a finger in this fight, and without her to provide backup…..

"Now, now," cooed Tempest, "is it really fair to let this go on for so long? You know how the weather is. It can change in an instant."

The temperature plummeted even more. Mercifully, the hail stopped, but the cold didn't. She shivered as it began to snow. She wanted to think of that as an advantage—she'd take snow over hail any day—but it was falling thick and fast, making it difficult to see, and Tempest had directed the wind so that it blew in his favour.

The wind went right through her soaked spring jacket—all her clothes, really—and now that she wasn't too preoccupied with dodging hailstones, she could feel the chill settling in her bones.

"Of course," added Tempest, "if the gentleman would give up his Miraculous, we wouldn't need to see how long it would take his lady friend to freeze to death."

"Ladybug will be here soon," Chat Noir murmured. "When she comes, use the distraction to run. It should be any minute now."

Except it wouldn't be, because she was already here, and she couldn't ask Tikki to transform her in front of them and anyone else who might be watching.

Marinette couldn't think of the right words to say— _she_ wasn't supposed to know that Ladybug was to meet Chat here—so her only reply was chattering teeth.

"Rather foolish, don't you think, going over your plans in front of me?" The wind picked up, and Marinette's shivering became more violent. She could feel her clothes beginning to freeze, and that wind—! "You might be able to handle the cold, Chat Noir, but do you really want to risk the lady?"

Chat Noir cast her a worried glance. He didn't see Tempest thrust out his hands and blast them with a plough wind to rip them apart. He recovered quickly enough, springing to his feet, but she went down hard. Her joints felt stiff. Her skin and sinuses hurt from the biting cold, and she had to keep blinking or she feared her eyes would freeze shut.

She'd only taken three breaths since the wind had let up, and she could already see frost gathering on her lashes.

"Alternatively," Tempest drawled, "if you won't just give me your Miraculous, why not come with me and help me get Ladybug's? I'll let your little lady friend live if you do."

She saw Chat frown and realized what he was willing to give up to protect her. Something inside twisted. He had said that he loved Ladybug, but since she hadn't appeared to reciprocate his feelings and since he'd found her as Marinette here, now…. Maybe Tempest's taunts had been more truth than she'd realized. The heart really could realize things before the brain. Surely Chat Noir wouldn't have spilled his feelings to just anyone, and surely he wouldn't have shared her ice cream if he didn't harbour some hope, too. André's work was famous across Paris; Chat would know what it meant.

And the treat really did describe her kitty perfectly.

But now he wanted to sacrifice himself for her. Give in to Tempest, to Hawk Moth. To protect _her_. Over _Paris_.

She couldn't let him do that.

She couldn't bear to lose him.

"D-don't!" The word was forced out in a burst of fog. She wasn't used to being this cold. She took a deep breath, and her lungs burned, the cold air somehow feeling like it was scorching her windpipe. Her chest ached. "It's—it's not…worth it."

The wind began to stir up the snow again, growing to a howl.

Marinette hoped the sharp pain she felt in her fingers and toes—somehow stronger than everywhere else—was a good sign rather than bad. It meant she had time, didn't it? Because she could still feel them?

"Marinette." Chat Noir's face suddenly filled her vision. His hair was frozen in a spiky mess. "I'm going to protect you. Don't worry. Just hold on. Ladybug and I will show this guy he's just full of hot air."

Marinette shook her head violently. "N-no." If Chat Noir's plan was to hold off Tempest until Ladybug showed up, it would never work. He was just exhausting himself this way, and if he kept this up, Tempest would wear him out. Controlling the wind as easily as he did, she wasn't even sure Chat would be able to get close enough to use Cataclysm on anything effectively.

The only way she could protect Chat Noir now was to separate them and give him time to come up with a decent plan. He was quick and clever; he'd work something out if she couldn't get free. She turned to Tempest, who was still clearly amused by the exchange and who looked utterly unaffected by the weather he was causing. "Take me."

" _Marinette_!" protested Chat Noir. The raw emotion in his voice made her heart ache for an entirely different reason.

 _Trust me, kitty. I trust you._

She forced herself to ignore him, climbing slowly to her feet and staring down Tempest, who had snorted in disbelief. "Ladybug will sa-sacrifice herself for i-innocent people." Hawk Moth would remember the incident with Pharaoh. He would also remember being tricked, but that couldn't be helped. And then there was the time Volpina had taken Adrien, or at least she'd thought she had. If Chat Noir hadn't figured out the truth and stopped her….

Besides, Hawk Moth wouldn't know he had _already_ captured Ladybug, and she'd rather go with Tempest as Marinette now than try to track him down as Ladybug later. Even with Tikki's magic on her side, she wasn't sure she'd be able to catch up quickly enough to do her kitty much good. He was far better off rescuing her this time. "Chat Noir…is a hero. He knows…the risks." She tried to will her chattering teeth into submission. "He and Ladybug will put Paris above each other."

She didn't know if her words were true. They _should_ be, but could she really take things that far? There had been some close calls, but she and Chat Noir had come through so much together. They hadn't had to face a choice like that. Not really. They'd always managed to find ways around it.

Except this time.

She wasn't Ladybug right now, and she wasn't sacrificing Tikki or her Miraculous for her partner, just herself, but….

She didn't look at Chat. She didn't need to. She could imagine his face.

He wouldn't know if what she'd said was the truth, either.

And he wouldn't like what she was trying to do now.

She was shaking, smaller shivers interrupted by larger shudders. "Take me," she repeated. "I'm b-better bait. L-Ladybug and Chat Noir…." She trailed off, glancing at him and hoping he'd read the message in her eyes. _Let me go. Don't give up your Miraculous, whatever you do._ "They're more likely to g-give you what you want if I'm your h-hostage."

If she could sneak away and transform at some point, later claiming Ladybug had freed her, then all the better. But if she couldn't…. Chat Noir would find a way to rescue her, once he'd worked out how. She could help him more then. Now, all she could do was try to convince Tempest that this was the better trade.

She didn't know how else to protect her kitty besides buying him time.

Tempest titled his head to one side, considering.

Chat Noir's hand appeared on hers, and a distant part of her mind realized she couldn't feel him. His suit was keeping him warm, but it was a cold on the outside as she was. "Marinette, please, don't do this."

"I have to." She'd stopped shivering. She wasn't sure when, but that was good. Tempest must have let the weather warm some, even though she could still see water droplets frozen on Chat's mask and ice fog with each breath. Perhaps Tempest was letting his guard down, or at least seriously considering her offer instead of trying to lull them into a false sense of security. Maybe she'd be able to do this after all. "You're always protecting people, kitty. Let me protect you for just a little bit longer."

His expression was agonized. "Marinette—"

"Just— Don't wait for Ladybug, okay, kitty cat? You're brilliant on your own. You'll find a way around this even if something's got her tied up." A burst of giggles erupted out of her at the words; for all she knew, they wouldn't be far off the truth. "But whatever you do, don't give up your Miraculous for me. Paris needs you. And if me going with Tempest means you're still able to be the hero I know you are, then I'll go."

He stared at her, but before he could find the words to dissuade her, she leaned forward and kissed him. It was the only thing she could leave him with right now, a promise of what may be in the future if they got through this. He stiffened for a moment, not expecting it, but she felt him relax and lean into it. He felt so warm against her lips, a sanctuary in this world of ice. She wanted to embrace him, to throw herself into his arms and melt into him, to extend this moment together—but she couldn't. She had to protect him. "See you soon, kitty," she murmured, her lips still brushing his. A pleasantly warm feeling had filled her. "Rain or shine."

Wind shot between them again, forcing them apart. "Oh, come now," taunted Tempest. "You can't expect me to believe this'll be a fair trade if I let you plan how to trick me." She saw his hand close on her wrist, and he pulled her towards him. "Till next time, Chat Noir. Bring me Ladybug and your Miraculous if you'd like to see your little lady alive again. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll get a rather icy reception from her."

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed. She saw his lips move, but the wind stole his words and then snow swirled in front of her vision, robbing her of that as well.

 _Good luck, kitty._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: It's been storming all day—snow storming, mind, a thick, wet snow with strong winds, even though it's still September—so how could I not write more on this fic when that's basically the setting? (We lost power over an hour ago so I'm posting this using a hotspot from my cell phone. Go figure. Review replies will come later, but rest assured they will come if you're signed in and allowing PMs. I'd love to know what people think!)

* * *

All Marinette could hear was the wind roaring in her ears. Her stomach flipped as the wind picked her up, spinning her like a top. All she could see was the blinding white of the swirling snow; if it weren't for the fact that Tempest had to be here controlling everything, she'd wonder if he'd left her and tried another strike at Chat Noir.

Marinette was used to swinging on her yo-yo, but she was used to being in control. Even once they touched down, her head swam as if she weren't on solid ground. It was difficult to concentrate. Even if she'd wanted to fight, to run, it was all she could do to keep down the ice cream she and Chat Noir had shared earlier.

Tempest took no notice of her, focusing instead on building her prison. The wet stone beneath her frosted into ice, and she forced herself to keep moving so she wouldn't freeze in place. The effort exhausted her.

When she saw the slab of ice jutting out from the thick walls, she didn't question it. She simply sat down.

She was beyond shivering now.

Tempest thought she was of no consequence. He thought she was helpless. A useful hostage, a pawn to trade, and nothing more.

Right now, he wasn't wrong.

"You'll have to chill here, little lady," Tempest said. "I've got a cat to catch."

Marinette raised her head. Tempest was grinning down at her, entirely unaffected by the wet and the cold. Unlike Stormy Weather, who'd had her umbrella, it wasn't immediately obvious where the akuma was hiding. His suit was simple enough, skin tight and shimmering with the greys, greens, blues, and purples of roiling storm clouds whenever he moved. His short hair was bright white, his mask the blue-black of distant storms, but there wasn't—

Something glinted.

He followed her gaze as she finally noticed his ring. It was a simple silver band, but even as she watched, it sparked. _Like lightning._ Her breath caught.

Tempest laughed. "Careful what you say now. I'd hate to have to freeze your throat to keep those words from coming out."

Marinette swallowed and nodded, dropping her gaze. She couldn't pretend the threat didn't unnerve her. She'd told Chat Noir not to wait for Ladybug, but she had no guarantee he'd listen to her. He'd simply think she had faith in his abilities, not that she knew Ladybug wouldn't be coming. More likely, he'd try to call, maybe try to find her in case she was engaged in a fight with Tempest, before he accepted that he was on his own this time.

A sudden gust of wind took Tempest away, and she looked up to see the ice close over the last opening. She wasn't sure where she was, but she knew she couldn't get out alone. Even assuming ice was thinner above her, she didn't have the means or the energy to climb. The walls were smooth.

The floor was rough, presumably as a courtesy so she could pace more easily, but her cage couldn't be more than six feet square. She was lucky it wasn't less, considering how thick the walls had to be to so thoroughly obscure her view of the world beyond. She only had a vague impression of brown-grey stone, not any real sense of her whereabouts.

"Tikki," whispered Marinette, watching as her breath fogged, "should I transform while he's gone? Say that Ladybug saved me? I know Chat Noir's coming, but I don't…. I'm not sure how long I can last."

She knew she'd be warmer in Ladybug's suit, but she couldn't risk being transformed if Tempest came back—or if Chat came to rescue her with Tempest on his tail. And even if Lucky Charm gave her an ice pick or the like, she wasn't convinced she'd have the strength to break out of here in time.

She was tempted to call her kitty, convince him that she'd be late or had been handed another secret mission, but he'd see the ice in the background. He suspect she'd run into Tempest even if she denied it. And, with his tracker telling him her exact location, he might be tempted to rescue her so they could both rescue Marinette.

It was another thing she couldn't risk.

But she was just so tired right now, it was hard to think straight. She'd appreciate Tikki's second opinion. It was all too likely that she was missing something.

Marinette fumbled with her purse, wondering why the kwami hadn't popped out yet. Numb fingers finally worked the clasp open. "Tikki?"

The purse was empty.

"Tikki!" Marinette looked around, but there was no familiar spot of red anywhere. The motion made her head pound, and she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Tikki wouldn't just abandon her. Not unless—

Marinette's hands flew to her ears. Her left earring was there.

Her right one was not.

She pulled off her left one and was relieved to see it was still its usual black. She shoved it back on, biting back the urge to cry. Now, even if she wanted to, she couldn't help Chat Noir. She wouldn't even be able to run off and transform once he did save her. She couldn't. Not without Tikki. Not without the other half of her Miraculous.

"Oh, Tikki, I hope you went to find it," Marinette murmured, dropping her head back into her hands. "I don't think I'll ever get it back otherwise."

* * *

Adrien followed the storm with his eyes as Tempest took Marinette away. He was going to get her back. There was no question about that. She trusted him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

When he defeated Tempest and found her, he was going to pick her up and hold her close and never let go if that's what it took to make her realize what she'd done.

It was hard enough making sure people didn't get hurt without them throwing themselves at the villains. Alya was hard enough to keep track of. He didn't need Marinette doing it, too. She'd helped with the Evillustrator, but this was different.

She was….

She'd done this for him. Tempest didn't know her from anyone else, or at least he hadn't. He would have let her get away. She probably could've managed it if he could've taken the fight with Tempest elsewhere and left her behind. Then again, Tempest had teased them, even called them lovers. He'd read the truth of the situation long before Adrien himself had.

 _Don't think love will thaw a frozen heart._ That's what he'd said. He'd agreed to take Marinette because he'd realized how much she meant to him. Tempest—Hawk Moth— _everyone else_ —didn't know that Ladybug had never returned his affections. Only Marinette and Ladybug knew the truth of that.

But now Tempest—and Hawk Moth—knew what Marinette meant to him. They didn't know how much he'd spilled his heart out to her, how much being with her had helped him heal inside. They couldn't know how much her kiss had shocked him, nor how much he'd longed for it to continue.

He'd do everything he could to protect her, but how could he when she went and did something like _this_?

And the way she'd been when he'd last seen her. Last held her. When she'd kissed him.

She'd been so cold.

Tempest would let her freeze to death. He didn't care about her. He'd probably be amused if Adrien got that _icy reception_ from Marinette. Tempest might think it would break him, steal away his will to fight, and that it would be easy to snatch his ring.

Hawk Moth might think he'd be willing to trade anything to reverse what Tempest had done.

Adrien took a steadying breath, sucking in warmer air now that the storm had moved on. _Ladybug_ was the one who could reverse Tempest's damage, not Hawk Moth.

Except Ladybug hadn't come yet, even though it was past the time they were supposed to meet and she was rarely late.

Adrien pulled out his staff and opened the video screen. The GPS didn't register a location for Ladybug. He couldn't find her—or call her—because she wasn't transformed.

 _Don't wait for Ladybug._ Had Marinette known? How could she? It didn't make sense. It must've just been encouragement, more proof of her belief in him—belief he wasn't sure he deserved.

"Think, think, think," Adrien muttered. If Ladybug wasn't coming, he really would be on his own. He couldn't afford to wait when Marinette's life might be on the line.

But he didn't know where Tempest's akuma was, and without Ladybug, he couldn't purify it.

He could still try to catch it, though, and that would be his only choice if she didn't come soon. He'd have to break Tempest's connection to Hawk Moth to save Marinette. She was no ice princess or snow queen. She'd been brave, foolishly so, but she needed him, and he couldn't—

Tempest wanted his and Ladybug's Miraculous. Without Ladybug, he couldn't even _pretend_ to give over the Miraculous.

Well.

He could try.

He could always buy a pair of lookalike earrings; they were quite popular. He had enough money on him for that. Not that it would be much easier buying some as Adrien Agreste than it would be as Chat Noir, but without Lucky Charm, he wasn't sure he had much choice. Or much time.

And he'd always be able to check to see if Ladybug had transformed and fill her in before he actually met up with Tempest.

There was no guarantee Tempest would believe it was Ladybug's Miraculous, though, without seeing her first. They'd managed to fool Pharaoh _and_ Dark Owl with lookalike Miraculous. If she wasn't there, the likelihood of them being fakes climbed. And hadn't Tempest specifically requested Ladybug be there? _Bring me Ladybug and your Miraculous if you'd like to see your little lady alive again._ He assumed Adrien would betray his partner to save Marinette, and he wasn't likely to be satisfied with something he wasn't sure was her Miraculous.

Adrien needed Ladybug.

At least, he needed _a_ Ladybug.

Adrien smiled. The ruse wouldn't last long, but it didn't need to. A moment of doubt was all he needed.

* * *

Adrien landed on the balcony, took a breath, and knocked before letting himself inside. He was met with a shriek and a hurled pillow, but he caught that and ducked the shoe that followed. "Chloé, it's me! Chat Noir. I need a favour!"

Chloé peered over at him from the dubious cover of the far side of her bed. "Where's Ladybug?"

"She's busy." It sounded like a weak excuse even to his own ears, but it had to be true. If she'd known she couldn't make their meeting, she'd have found a moment to transform and call him to tell him that.

"Then how do I know you're not just another Copycat?"

"Because we're in the middle of a fight with someone calling himself the Tempest. Chloé, I don't have time to explain everything. Please, I know you have a Ladybug costume. I need you to change and come fight with me. I need you to be my Ladybug."

That got her attention. She climbed to her feet. "You think I'm worthy of being Ladybug?"

 _You're the only one I know who has a costume._ But he wasn't about to say that, especially not now that she was looking for it in her closet. "Please, Chloé, if you'll come, I need you to change right now. There isn't much time. Someone's life is on the line."

Chloé reappeared from around the door, costume in hand. "Someone's life?" she repeated.

He could see the fear in her eyes.

He wasn't sure someone who didn't know her as well as he did would be able to recognize it for what it was.

"I'll protect you," he said. _I'll protect you like I should have protected Marinette. Like I would have, if she hadn't done this._ "I promise. I just need someone to play the part of Ladybug so Tempest doesn't realize what I'm up to."

Chloé pursed her lips, but she didn't argue or keep pressing him. Instead, she flounced towards her en suite washroom, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She'd come with him. He kept talking, filling her in on his plan as best he could.

"How wet is it going to be?" she eventually asked without opening the door.

Adrien blinked. "How…wet? I…I don't know. It'll probably rain."

The door opened. "I'll just ring Jean-Claude to get him to bring me more hairspray—"

Adrien winced—she _still_ couldn't remember her butler's name?—but caught her arm before she got too far. He couldn't correct her; Chat Noir would have no business knowing the staff here as well as he did. "We don't have time. You look fine anyway. We need to get to, um…."

"Notre-Dame," Chloé said without missing a beat. "I checked the Ladyblog on my phone. There's a giant ice tower there now."

A tower to hold his princess. And at Notre-Dame Cathedral, no less. Tempest's choices were telling. That—and his earlier bitterness—was the best clue Adrien had about where the akuma was hiding. If Tempest so detested relationships, couldn't stand seeing people being happy, and was intent to rain on their parade….

He was angry, bitter, lashing out at the world. Whatever the real reason behind it, he derived enjoyment from breaking people up. From seeing them suffer. He brought to life a physical representation of life's storms, and he was intent on seeing as few people weather them as possible.

"He's not unlike Dark Cupid," Adrien said carefully. "I think he's coming off a broken relationship. Be careful what you say."

Chloé rolled her eyes. "Please, it's not like I can't read a social situation."

He wasn't worried about how well she could read and interpret it; he was worried about how she might respond. But he couldn't say that either, not when he was asking for her help, so all he said was, "If you figure out where the akuma is hiding, tell me. Otherwise, just pretend to be Ladybug and—"

"You already said that," complained Chloé. "Are we going or not? I thought you were in a hurry."

He was, but he also knew throwing Chloé into a situation she wasn't prepared for would just make things worse. Still, he wasn't going to stand here and argue with her. Not when time was ticking away for Marinette.

He crouched, and Chloé climbed on his back so he could piggyback her there. The weight wasn't entirely unfamiliar, considering how often he and Chloé had done this in their youth—and how often he and Ladybug had carried each other much more recently. "Whatever you do, don't let go." He felt her grip tighten, and he asked, "Ready?"

"Humph. Aren't I always?"

 _I hope so._

* * *

What Adrien had taken to be fog surrounding _Île de la Cité_ turned out to be an isolated but fierce patch of snow flurries, and he was forced to take to the ground as soon as they reached the island.

Chloé stuck close to him, more beside him than behind him but still keeping an eye on his six. Not that either of them could see much in this; if Tempest decided to sneak up on them, he wouldn't have much trouble doing it.

"This wind is going to ruin my hair," Chloé hissed. "You should've let me—"

"Not now, _Ladybug_ ," Adrien muttered, emphasizing the name. It seemed to work; Chloé's mouth snapped shut and she straightened up.

But then her mouth opened again and called, "You'll never get our Miraculous, Tempest!"

As if he hadn't gone over the plan with her, hadn't _specifically told her_ that he wanted to feign giving up their Miraculous, that they were _supposed_ to be going in on the pretence of surrender.

He wondered if she'd listened to a word he'd said.

She saw the shock on his face and winked at him, beginning to spin the toy yo-yo in an echo of Ladybug. She'd gotten better; despite a few wavers and wobbles, he wasn't worried that she'd tangle herself. "We need to draw him out," she mouthed at him.

Drawing him out wasn't something Adrien had wanted to do immediately, at least not in a way that would immediately put a target on their backs; he would've preferred having the time to study Tempest and figure out exactly where the akuma was hiding—something which was much more likely to have happened if Chloé had gone along with his plan.

But sometimes, plans shattered and had to be remade on the fly. He was used to playing the distraction, but as much as he hated to do it, he'd have to leave that to Chloé. Tempest would blast him back in a rush of wind before he ever got close with Cataclysm if he tried a head on attack, and he couldn't afford to miss. Until he knew the akuma was hiding in something that could be easily broken _without_ Cataclysm, he couldn't risk using it. He couldn't even destroy Marinette's prison.

"Come to rescue your little lady, kitty cat?" Tempest called as the wind died down enough to allow them to see him ahead of them—and the shadowy outline of the ice tower behind him, in the square in front of the cathedral. "Are you sure Ladybug won't be jealous?"

Adrien swallowed, waiting for Tempest to remark on the fact that this was a _different_ Ladybug, but the comment didn't come. Maybe he assumed the real Ladybug had had to give up her Miraculous for one reason or another, that Chloé really was her replacement. Maybe he genuinely didn't notice the difference. Maybe he did and assumed it part of a plan on their part, a way of allowing the real Ladybug to swoop in later. More likely, he didn't care—as long as this battle ended with the Miraculous in his hands, it wouldn't matter to him why this Ladybug was different.

Adrien forced a smile on his face and planted his staff in front of him in the illusion of nonchalance. "Oh, Ladybug can see the situation quite clearly—right, my lady?"

"Always," Chloé shot back. "I can see that as clearly as I can see that hideous ring on his left hand!"

Adrien blinked, but before he could ask, Tempest had raised that hand— _that's right, it was his left, it had always been his left_ —and pointed at Chloé. The wind rotated, churning the clouds above into a funnel, and—

Chloé shrieked and ran, but it followed her. Tempest was laughing, and Adrien realized the pointing motion was his way of choosing a more specific target. He'd used various hand motions earlier, so perhaps without that additional direction, the wind only bent broadly to his will.

Which lent credence to Chloé's observation that the power might be held in his ring, especially considering what Adrien could guess about why Tempest had been akumatized.

Adrien certainly couldn't see anywhere else the akuma might be hiding, and Tempest's reaction seemed to confirm it.

"Grab my staff!" Adrien yelled, springing away from it as Chloé crossed back towards him. "It'll stay planted and your yo-yo won't hold up to this wind!"

 _Ladybug's_ yo-yo might have had a chance at fighting against the wind, but Chloé's certainly wouldn't. Frankly, it was lucky the mask hadn't been torn clean off her face without the kwami's magic holding it in place.

Adrien rolled and kept low, taking advantage of Tempest's intense concentration. He'd stop soon enough; Hawk Moth couldn't grant people endless strength (the time limits Copycat and Antibug had had proved that), and he certainly wouldn't risk losing the Miraculous in the storm. In the meantime—

Tempest flinched and cried out. _Punishment_ , Adrien realized as the wind died down. Tempest had been defying Hawk Moth, and he'd paid for it. Their Miraculous was more important than a desire to show off.

It was also one of the few opportunities Adrien would have when he _knew_ Tempest would be distracted.

Adrien pounced, crashing into Tempest and no doubt jarring him back to this reality. He fought for the ring while protecting his own; he still couldn't risk using Cataclysm this close to someone, not when he didn't have a clear shot at an object and not flesh.

The shock he received when he finally managed to grab the ring was enough to make his hair stand on end.

"Rings represent eternity, remember?" taunted Tempest. "An unbroken circle. No beginning, no end." His voice sounded distant, watery, nearly drowned out by Adrien's racing heart. Adrien realized he couldn't see properly, that spots were swirling in his vision. Surely he hadn't activated Cataclysm without realizing it?

No, those were fingers trying to uncurl his, prying open a fist he couldn't remember making—

Adrien didn't have the strength to fight off Tempest right now, even though the suit must have protected him from the worst of the shock. But even if he wouldn't necessarily win in a fair fight, he still had the wits about him to tip the odds in his favour. As Tempest reached for his ring, Adrien screamed, "Ladybug, now!"

It didn't matter that Chloé hadn't prepared anything. It didn't matter that there was no attack, no elaborate plan about to be enacted. What mattered was that Tempest _expected_ one.

In that precious moment of distraction, Adrien called on Cataclysm and touched Tempest's ring with one finger. It blackened and split, cleaved neatly into two halves. Adrien snatched the retreating akuma, cupping his hands over the fiercely beating wings. He couldn't let it get free. He had to wait for Ladybug.

Chloé stumbled over to him as Tempest's costume melted away, leaving behind one very confused young man. "What…what happened?" he asked, sitting up and staring around at the slowly melting snow and the mount of ice before them. He looked at Adrien and then at Chloé. "Ladybug, Chat Noir, was I—?"

" _Obviously_ ," Chloé sneered, but then she remembered herself and added, "but that's in the past now. You should focus on the future." She crossed her arms and sniffed. "If this was a lover's spat, you two need to talk to someone and get to the bottom of whatever caused this."

"I…. Yes. I will. _We_ will. Thank you." He scrambled to his feet. "Um…. Shouldn't…shouldn't everything be going back to normal right now?"

"Don't worry," assured Adrien with a smile even as the akuma attempted to wriggle through his fingers, "we'll take care of everything. Just concentrate on getting yourself home."

His ring beeped once.

"Yes. I'll…. I'll do that. Thank you both." The man shot them an apologetic smile before retreating, walking the first few steps before giving up all pretenses and running.

When he was gone, Chloé looked at Adrien. "What are we supposed to do now?" she asked.

Adrien glanced at the ice tower. It was beginning to melt now that the sun was back out, but it wasn't happening nearly fast enough. "We have to get her out."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Chloé said, rolling her eyes, "but _how_?"

"Get my staff. It's the only weapon we have." His ring beeped again. "Plant it on the ground at an angle and extend it into the wall. It's magic. It'll be stronger than you are."

"You want this to crack on a pressure point. When someone's inside?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Chloé's only answer was a grumble and to stomp off and do what he'd suggested, which meant she didn't. But the truth was, he'd thought Ladybug would have shown up by now. He didn't have time to fetch proper tools and couldn't create any to use, not like she could. Right now, he couldn't even use the one tool he did have himself or he risked freeing the akuma.

"Please hurry, Ladybug," he whispered.

* * *

Marinette wasn't sure what woke her, the cracking or the crashing. Until the blast of warm air hit her, she couldn't even open her eyes; her tears and breath had frozen them shut. She couldn't seem to make her fingers work, and even unfolding from her curled up position on the ice bench was a feat.

She blinked against bright sunlight, trying to figure out what had happened. She could see Chat Noir and wanted to smile, but her mouth didn't seem to want to respond, either.

And then she saw Ladybug, which took her breath away.

No wonder she hadn't been able to find Tikki.

Tikki had found someone else.

Her Miraculous—

No. Her earring. She still had one of the earrings. She couldn't have been replaced as Ladybug; the transformation would never hold.

"…nette? Marinette! Marinette, look at me."

She tore her eyes from not-Ladybug—why did she look so familiar, anyway?—and focused on Chat Noir, who was crouched in front of her. "He's gone now, Marinette," her kitty was saying. "You're safe now. Ladybug will help you."

"I will?" A sharp look from Chat Noir, and then a huff. "Right. Of _course_ I will."

She knew that voice.

That was Chloé. Chat Noir had recruited _Chloé_? Why would he _ever_ —?

Tempest. Of course. His demands. He'd wanted Ladybug, not just her Miraculous. And Ladybug had never come, hadn't been transformed to answer Chat's calls, but he knew perfectly well who played at being Ladybug in her spare time. Marinette wasn't sure if the plan was brilliant or terrible. She hadn't thought Chloé could make a convincing Ladybug, but clearly she'd been wrong.

"You need to warm up slowly," warned Chat Noir. "Nothing too hot. You don't want to make the damage worse."

Damage. That's right. Without the real Ladybug, the damage couldn't be reversed. Which meant the akuma—

Chat Noir's ring beeped, and Marinette found herself staring at it. There was only one pad left. What was he thinking? Why was he still here? Why—?

"Ring," Marinette managed, forcing the word from her lips. "Your ring."

"I know. It's okay. Don't worry about me. Once Ladybug's ready, I can release the akuma and she'll cleanse it."

 _No, she won't. She can't._ "But…." Marinette broke off, her eyes darting to Chloé. She couldn't let him know that she knew that wasn't Ladybug.

"I know you said not to wait for her," he added, "but she came along soon after Tempest took you away, and I'm not one to turn down good help." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, far too little for what she wanted, but she understood now that he couldn't risk opening his hands—and that he shouldn't even be sticking around to talk to her like this in the first place, given how little time he had. "Be safe."

Miracle of miracles, Chloé actually helped Marinette to her feet. She'd begun to shiver uncontrollably, and Chloé was forced to keep one arm around her to keep her steady. "Just try to hold on to me." It sounded more like a complaint, but clearly Chloé was trying. "And don't forget your earring."

She was pointing to the ground. Marinette followed her gaze, but all she could see were ice shards against stone. "My earring?" she repeated dumbly.

There was a huff beside her. Chloé pushed her towards Chat Noir and bent down, ignoring her squawk and his and the shuffling they both did to keep their footing. When Chloé had straightened, the earring—and its back—were resting in her palm. "Your earring," she repeated, easily putting it back on for Marinette. "Now let's go. Chat Noir doesn't have much time."

The last was spoken with a pointed glare and met with a sheepish smile. "Just t-take me inside," Marinette said, nodding at the cathedral. "I'll…I'll rest there."

Fortunately, Chloé didn't know enough or care enough to question her. She _was_ , however, kind enough to keep the crowds away, loudly demanding Marinette be given her space. It gave Marinette the time to creep out of sight, all the while praying that Tikki was back.

"You need to transform," a voice whispered in her ear, and Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't have time to ask questions right now; she had a cat to save— _without_ blowing his cover.

Seconds later, she was ducking out of the very building she'd disappeared into, grateful for Chloé's ongoing distraction and moving a lot more easily now that she was wrapped in Tikki's magic. She unbound her yo-yo as she went and called, "Chat, the akuma!"

The relief on his face when she spotted her was palpable. He opened his hands and ran for cover as his ring trilled a shrill warning, and she caught the akuma before it could go too far.

It was all over in a matter of minutes. The akuma was cleansed, the damage was reversed, and she'd found a quiet spot to change back. Moreover, she no longer felt the lingering effects of Tempest's storms. Her mind was clear again, and one thing she knew was that she'd have to deal with Chloé until Chat Noir came back.

Chloé was still inside, enjoying the attention too much to extricate herself from it, but now that everything had been fixed, she'd need to go. Ladybug _never_ stayed very long after a victory. It was too dangerous, for a number of reasons.

Marinette made sure to push her way to the front of the crowd before loudly proclaiming, "Thank you for saving me, Ladybug! But won't you have to go before you transform back?"

Chloé stared at her. Marinette tried her best to keep an innocent smile plastered on her face. Chloé's mouth opened. Closed. And then she finally ground out, "Of course. Please excuse me," before sliding through the crowd and stalking outside.

Marinette hadn't expected the crowd to turn on her, but as the apparent target of the latest attack, they did—and she found herself fielding questions about Tempest and counting the minutes until her phone rang with Alya on the other end of the line.

* * *

"Eat faster, Plagg," Adrien hissed, as if the kwami had ever had the problem of eating too slowly.

Plagg swallowed a second chunk of cheese whole. "Can't I rest?" he complained.

"We don't have time and you know it. Claws out!"

Adrien had really only had time to duck behind a tree before his transformation wore off, and he peeked out from behind it now. The coast was clear, so he headed back to the front of the cathedral. Chloé was off to one side, tucked behind a tree much like he had been—except he hadn't been sulking.

She uncrossed her arms and stood up as he approached. "Where _were_ you? I can't exactly go anywhere like this!"

"Sorry." He smiled at her. "I'll take you home now. Thank you for your help."

She sniffed. "Well, since the real Ladybug couldn't be bothered to show up, I was the logical replacement."

"She finished her own work in time to cleanse the akuma," Adrien pointed out, "but I'm sure she'll thank you for filling in for her, too." Hopefully. "Climb on."

Chloé wrapped herself around him and was quiet as he pulled out his staff, but just before he could plant it and start off, she confessed, "I was scared. When Tempest came after me. It was terrifying."

"It's okay to be scared," he replied quietly. "It keeps us alert, aware of the danger around us. It can save us sometimes. And it means we're human. But being a hero is all about how you respond despite being scared, and you did wonderfully."

She hugged him tighter and murmured a thank you into his ear, and then he took her home.

* * *

It was easy enough to confirm that Ladybug wasn't transformed anymore, so Adrien was sure she wouldn't mind him going back to check on Marinette. He found her in the square in front of the cathedral, ignoring the tourists that had begun lining up there again in favour of her cell phone. He smirked; chances were, she was talking to Alya.

She smiled when she saw him, spotting him even before he approached her. "I have to go," he heard her say. "I'll call you later, I promise."

She tucked her phone back into her purse and met him at the edge of the square, not protesting in the slightest when he suggested they go farther away from the crowds. He'd had half a mind of stopping earlier but wound up taking her home; it was the first place he'd seen that wasn't busy, and he didn't want to be interrupted right now.

He let her down on her balcony. She trailed one hand along his arm and caught his fingers in hers. "Thank you for saving me, kitty," she whispered. "I knew you would."

"It wasn't just me; Ladybug helped."

Her small smile said that she didn't believe him, and he wondered again if she knew the truth. If she really had known Ladybug couldn't come, she'd know the Ladybug that had shown up wasn't the real one.

Marinette wrapped her arms around him and said, "It was more you than Ladybug this time, kitty cat, but I'm grateful for more than just that. You…. You know why I did what I did, don't you? I couldn't risk losing you, and not just because you're a hero."

He hugged her tighter in response and breathed into her ear, "Don't ever do that again."

She laughed and pulled back to look at him, though she was still close enough that if he leaned in even slightly, their noses would touch. "I couldn't have you sacrificing Paris for me, and what I did for you wasn't a sacrifice, not really. I knew you could save me."

"I could have _lost_ you." He didn't want her thinking that kind of reckless behaviour was remotely acceptable; Ladybug had that mindset far too often herself, and if Marinette picked it up, too—

She tilted her head to one side, just slightly, just enough so that their noses weren't directly in front of each other. "I don't mean to pressure you. I just wanted to prove to you that you're as much a hero as Ladybug is, if not more of one. You can see that now, can't you? How wonderful you are?"

He stared into wide blue eyes, and his heart leapt. "I can't lose you," he said. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Denying her claims without reason would devalue her opinion, and he didn't want to deny her anything right now, let alone make her out to be less than she was.

She leaned into him again so that her lips just brushed his and murmured, "You won't. I don't want to lose you, either. Promise you'll come back to me?"

"Always," he purred before closing the last of the distance between them and giving her a proper kiss.

He didn't know what the future held, but he'd keep his promise to her as best he could. If this experience had shown him anything, it was how much she'd come to mean to him. And from her actions, he knew she felt the same way. It gave him hope, hope he hadn't been sure he'd been able to feel again after Ladybug had scorned his affections. She'd stuck with him through good times and bad, helped him find his feet again and been his friend, his confidant, when he hadn't dared say anything to anyone else.

And being with her made him happy.

"I think I love you," he said, the words leaving his mouth before he could think to bite them back.

He didn't even have a chance to regret his words before Marinette responded by deepening their kiss, and the pure joy of being with her that bubbled up inside of him blotted out everything else.


End file.
